Kktocked-down wheel toy



H. L. BEACH.

KNOCKED DOWN WHEEL TOY.

APPLICATION F|LED MAR. 3, 1919.

1,356,333. Patented Oct. 19, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

7 M W B Q 8 (f u/9% 7 1 10 INVENTOR WITNESSES H. L. BEACH.

KNOCKED DOWN WHEEL TOY.

APPLICATION FlLED MAR. 3. 1919.

1,356,333, Patented Oct. 19,1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

.- (J INVENTOR WTNESSES AT'TO R N EY UNITED STATES HARRY L. BEACH, 013 COSI-IOCTON', OHIO.

KNOCKED-DQWN WHEEL TOY.

Application filed March 3, 1919.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY L. BEACH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Coshocton, in the county of Coshocton and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Knocked-Down Wheel Toy, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has reference to wheeled toys for advertising purposes and is susceptiblc of being so cheaply made as to permit giving the toy away. Furthermore, the construction of the toy is such that it may be folded or knocked down for shipment, thereby saving material space in the shipment, and maybe readily set up by the recipient.

In accordance with the invention, the body of the toy is made of sheet material, preferably, though not necessarily, of sheet metal, such as tin, and, furthermore, may be suitably ornamented or made to resemble various obj ects.

Wheels are provided, supported on bendable axles or axle structures, and so mounted as to readily turn. The axle structures are made to be readily bendable from a folded position to one in which the wheels will rest upon a surface and readily turn, or the axle structures may be bent and, in some forms of the invention, removed from the body member to reduce packing space, and may be readily assembled by the recipient and the wheel supporting parts bent along predetermined lines to bring the wheels into proper relation to the body portion to permit drawing or propelling the toy along a surface. The wheel-carrying means are so arranged as to be readily bent because of a weakening of the parts along the predetermined lines and yet be stiff enough to retain the bent positions under ordinary conditions of handling and use. By imprinting or otherwise characterizing the toy it may be used for various advertising purposes and therefore constitutes an advertising novelty.

The invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection withv the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, with the understanding, however. that the invention is not confined to any strict conformity with the showing of the drawings, but may be changed and modified so long as such changes and modifications inark no material departure from the Specification of Letters Patent.

' Patented Oct. 19, 1920.

Serial No. 280,401.

salient features of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

In the drawings Figure 1 is an elevation of one form of the toy structure in the folded or knocked down condition. V

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 but with the toy structure set up for use.

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is an end elevation of the structure of Fig. 2 as seen from the right hand end.

Fig. 5 is a view of one of the axle structures detached from the main structure and in displayed position.

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of a modified form of the toy.

Fig. 7 is an end elevation thereof.

Fig. 8 is a bottom plan view of the structure shown in Fig. 6.

Fig. 9 1s a side elevation of the tion shown in Fig. 6, the wheels and axles being omitted.

Fig. 10 is a bottom plan view of the axle and wheel structure of the form of the invention shown in Fig. 6, the axle with the wheels thereon being'bent out straight.

Fig. 11 is a section on the line 11-11 of Fig.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown a body 1 which may be made of sheet material, preferably sheet metal, because of lightness, strength, and other characteristics, particularly adapting it for use for the purpose intended. To enhance the attractiveness of the body member it may be outlined to represent an animal 2, or some other figure, and a background 3, although any particular shape for the body member in representation of animate or inanimate structure, or both, is not obli atory.

Near each end of the body member, which is in the general shape of a flat sheet and may be ornamented on both faces, there is attached an axle strip 1- sufiiciently long to project a suitable distance from each face of the body member. The strip is pierced at suitable intervals by slots 5, 6 and 7 and perforations 8, 9 and 10. The slot 5 is, in the particular arrangement shown in Fig. 5, situated midway between the ends of the axle strip and extends crosswise of the axle strip, as do all the other slots. The slot 5 provides a weakened bending line, the weakness, in the particular showing of the draw body porings, being caused by the removal of the metal by which the slot is formed. The localized easy bending of the strip permits the folding of the strip upon itself intermediate of its length, bringing the passages 9 in matching relation on opposite sides of the body member 1, whereupon, a rivet 11 or other suitable fastening device may be passed through the matching perforations and through the body member 1 near its lower edge, which body member is also perforated for the rivet. In this manner the strip 1 is bent into contact with opposite faces of the body member and secured in place by the rivet 11 against accidental removal. The rivet may be a permanent rivet or a split rivet and in some forms of the invention may be of a readily removable nature.

Attached to the ends of the axle member 4: by means of rivets 12 are wheels 13, each provided with a rim head 14 for stiffness and strength. \Vhen the axle members 4; are originally applied and secured by the rivets 11 such axle members are about straight except for the intermediate bend at the slot 5 so that they lie nearly flat against the faces of the body member 1. To accommodate the rim 14: of the wheels each axle member has a bend 15 between the wheel and the intermediate portion of the axle member.

The assembly of the toy, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, is that for shipment, the axle members being bent up along the body member toward the faces of the latter so that the wheels are confined between the axle m 111- bers and the side faces of the body member. In this manner the toy takes relatively small space in shipment and far less than would be the case were the toy assembled in running condition. The recipient of the toy, in order to put it in running condition, bends the two ends of each axle member outwardly along lines determined by the slots 6, thus bending the two ends of each axle to positions about perpendicular with the faces of the body member. Then the axle members are once more bent but this time along lines determined by the slots 7 so that the outer ends of the axle members are about )arallel with the faces of the body member. Fach axle therefore has two bends on each side of the body member joined by the section in which the bend 15 occurs and the wheels are in position to run upon a surface with the body member upright and the wheels spread apart sufficiently to give stability to the body member when drawn along the surface. To facilitate the propulsion of the toy a perforation 16 is provided in the body member for attachment of a cord.

The invention may assume various forms, and in Fig. 6 and associated figures there is illustrated a somewhat different though analogous form to that of Fig. 1 and associated figures. There is shown a body member 1 in Fig. 6 and associated figures with an outline representation 2 of an animal. The body member 1 is turned over to form an outstanding or marginal flange 17, and attached to the flanged edge of the body member 1 is an angle strip 18 of like length to the flange 17. The angle strip has an outstanding flange 19 projecting oppositely to the flange 17. At one point in the length of the flange 19 a portion is cut away as shown at 20, and this cutaway portion registers with an opening 21 through the lower edge portion of the body member. The cutaway portion 20 is continued into the flange 17 in the form of another cutaway portion 22 entered by a lip 23 formed on the angle strip 18 at the cutaway portion 20.

Fast to the flanges 17 and 19 is an axle 24 formed of an elongated metallic strip with opposite edge strengthening flanges 25, the axle being secured to the flanges 17 and 19 by bolts 26 or by other readily removable means. A similar axl 27 is made fast by a bolt 28 or the like, traversing the lip 23 and having the head of the bolt seated in the recess 21. Each axle has an extremity 29 between which and the body of the axle there is a cross slot 30 four rig a weakened bending line. Pivotally fast to each extremity 29 by means of a rivet 12" i a wheel having a strengthening bead i f a run like the wheel 13 and parts belonging to it. as shown in Fig. 1 and associated figures.

The structure shown in Fig. 6 and associated figures is more particularly adapted for larger types of toys where transportation is more readily accomplished by having the axles with the wheels thereon detachable from the body portion, this being readily performed because of the bolts 26 and 28. lVhen the toy is assembled, the axles are bent along the slots 30 to bring the wheels parallel with the body portibn 1 when the axles are attached to the body por tion, but it is unnecessary to otherwise bend the axles which form a broad suppo. surface for the toy. The body member 1 provided with a perforation 16 for the attachment of a propelling cord, like the structure shown in Fig. 1.

. In the structure shown in 1, the front axle is rigid, while in the structure shown in Fig. 6 and associated figures. the front axle is swiveled and may therefore easily turn. U

What is claimed is 2- 1. A toy comprising a body member made of flat sheet material, and axle strips each secured at a point midway between its ends to one edge of said body member, said strips being made of flat material of sufficient length to project beyond each face of-the body member, and wheels mounted at the ends of each strip, each strip having a transverse slot spaced from each end thereof adlength to project beyond each face of the body member, and wheels mounted on the rivets secured to the ends of each strip, said rivets providing a permanent connection between the wheels and the axle strips, each strip having a transverse slot spaced from each end thereof adjacent the points of connection of the wheels thereto, said slots pro viding weakening lines along which the strips may be bent in setting up the wheels in upright position, said wheels being initially in a position flat against the said strips.

3. A toy comprising a body member made of flat sheet material, and axle strips each carrying wheels permanently mounted at the outer ends thereof, each strip being permanently secured to the body member along one edge of the latter and being of suflicient length to project beyond each face of the body member, each strip being provided with a transverse bending line on each side of and adjacent its connection with the body member and a transverse bending line at the outer end adjacent the connection of the wheel thereto, whereby the toy is initially made with the axle strips and wheels placed flat against the body member on opposite sides thereof and may be subsequently assembled. by bending the strips at the bending lines to cause the strips to assume positionsat right angles to the body member with the wheels in upright position.

l. A toy comprising a body member made of flat sheet material, and axle strips each carrying wheels mounted on rivets at the outer ends thereof, said rivets providing a permanent connection between the wheels and the axle strips, each strip being secured by rivets to the body member along one edge and at opposite sides of the latter and bebeing provided with a transverse slot on eachv side of and adjacent its connection with the body member and a transverse slot at-the outer end adjacent the connection of the wheel thereto, whereby the toy is initially made with the axle strips and wheels placed flat against the body member on opposite sides thereof and may be subsequently assembled by bending the strips at the slots to cause the strips to assume positions at right angles to the body member with the wheels in upright positions 5. An advertising toy comprising a sheet metal body member with elongated sheet metal strips doubled on themselves intermediate of their length and made fast to the body member, each strip on opposite sides of the intermediately bent portion having spaced bending lines produced therein along which the strip is more easily bent than elsewhere, and wheels mounted on the end portions of the strips whereby the strips may be lodged close to the body member on opposite sides thereof and subsequently bent away from the body member, and then adj acent to the wheels again bent in the same direction as the second named bend to bring the wheels in engagement with a level surface and in spaced relation to the body member.

6. An advertising toy comprising a sheet metal body portion, elongated strips of sheet metal bent intermediately upon themselves and secured adjacent to the bend to the body member close to the lower edge of the latter, said strips initially lying close to the face portions of the body member and between the point at which they are secured to the body member and the outer ends of the strips being perforated to provide weakened wheel carried by each end of each strip,

whereby the wheels and strips may be lo cated closely adjacent to the body member for transportation and storage and may be bent away from the body member and toward a support for the toy to provide a broad running gear for the toy.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixed my signature.

HARRY L. mason. 

